The Debut Dish, a bi-monthly Debut Author Challenge feature, is where you go for the scoop on some pretty awesome debut authors and their new books! Hopefully these interviews will inspire you to add many, many more books to your to-read list. Because, really, who doesn’t need more books in their lives?

Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting–working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she’s asexual). Alice is done with dating–no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done.

But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!).

When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.

Describe your book in five words or less.
Alice meets Takumi. Chaos ensues.

Tell us about your favorite scene in your book.
I really like the scene where Alice and Takumi have a Wallow session à la The Gilmore Girls. It involves junk food, horror movies, and onesies.

Bonus answer: Any scene with Alice and her best friend, Feenie.

Where were you when you found out you were being published?
I was at work! Sitting at my desk, minding my own merry business, and I got an email. I wrote a blog post about The Experience here.

What’s your favorite junk food?
Pizza!

Fun fact: Pizza is also Takumi’s favorite food. Chicago deep dish style with a pound of cheese on top.

An incisive, laugh-out-loud contemporary debut about a Taiwanese-American teen whose parents want her to be a doctor and marry a Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer despite her squeamishness with germs and crush on a Japanese classmate.

At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth–that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?

Describe your book in five words or less.
Taiwanese-American teen defies parental expectations.

Tell us about your favorite scene in your book.
My favorite scene in the book is toward the end and involves spoilers, so I will instead discuss my second favorite scene, which is the first chapter. The opening hasn’t changed much since the first draft, and the conversations between the parents and Mei, the main character, perfectly sum up what one of my conversations with my traditional Taiwanese parents look like. And yes, all those things the mother says, like, “There are no ugly women, only lazy women,” are true.

Where were you when you found out you were being published?
I was on my way out the door to meet my husband for dinner when my agent called me to tell me about our offer. I remember keeping my composure on the call, but the second I hung up, I began bawling. Like with all news, I told my husband first (and we jumped up and down for a little while), then my parents.

What’s your favorite junk food?
I am a total chocoholic, and it can come in any form. Never met a piece of chocolate I didn’t love!

What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?
A plush tofu that was made to be a cell phone holder, but with the advent of larger smart phones, it has transitioned into holding my Bluetooth.

The action-packed tale of a 17-year-old warrior princess and a handsome gladiator who dared take on the Roman Republic―and gave rise to the legend of Spartacus…

For teens who love strong female protagonists in their fantasy and historical fiction, Blood and Sand is a stirring, yet poignant tale of two slaves who dared take on an empire by talented debut author C. V. Wyk.

Roma Victrix. The Republic of Rome is on a relentless march to create an empire―an empire built on the backs of the conquered, brought back to Rome as slaves.

Attia was once destined to rule as the queen and swordmaiden of Thrace, the greatest warrior kingdom the world had seen since Sparta. Now she is a slave, given to Xanthus, the Champion of Rome, as a sign of his master’s favor. Enslaved as a child, Xanthus is the preeminent gladiator of his generation.

Against all odds, Attia and Xanthus form a tentative bond. A bond that will spark a rebellion. A rebellion that threatens to bring the Roman Republic to its end―and gives rise to the legend of Spartacus…

Describe your book in five words or less.
I am Spartacus.

Tell us about your favorite scene in your book.
The scenes featuring Xanthus and his blood-brothers were the most fun to write. Their banter and easy way with each other made me smile or smirk or snort every time, especially the scene where Iduma fights while eating hah!

Where were you when you found out you were being published?
I was at home playing Guild Wars 2 and trying to clear a dungeon with my party when I got The Call. I got tangled up in my headphones and fell off my chair. (The folks in the apartment downstairs came up to ask if we were okay…)

It’s the year 2071 and eleven year-old Kia Krumpet is determined to build her 67 inventions, but she won’t have the opportunity to unless she earns a spot at PIPS, the Piedmont Inventor’s Prep School. Kia, who has trouble making friends at school, has dreamed of winning the Piedmont Challenge and attending PIPS ever since she learned that her Grandma Kitty won the very first Piedmont Challenge. After she and four of her classmates are selected to compete for a spot at PIPS, they travel by aero-bus to Camp Piedmont to solve a task against forty-nine other state teams to earn their place at the best inventor’s school in the country.

Describe your book in five words or less.
Oh I guess I’d have to say: imaginative, inventive, competitive, heartbreaking, and heartwarming.

Tell us about your favorite scene in your book.
There’s a heartbreaking scene between eleven year-old Kia Krumpet and her Grandma Kitty that was particularly difficult to write. It’s a scene where I hope to show the moment in a child’s life when he or she realizes that a family member (like a parent or grandparent) is not perfect—that moment when that illusion is shattered. It happens to every child at some point in their life and can be a defining moment for them. And it’s one of my favorites!

Where were you when you found out you were being published?
I was home alone in my bedroom ready to fold laundry! My phone was sitting on my dresser when I heard the ding. It was my agent telling me that I had an offer! Of course I didn’t have all the details at that moment, and I didn’t know if we would accept, but at that point I knew someone wanted my story and if everything worked out, it would be published. I literally broke into tears!

What’s the oddest thing on your desk right now?
Well, I have a broken hour glass sitting on it right now! The glass broke out of it so it’s basically a wooden frame. I have plans to spray paint a light bulb gold and place it inside- to make it look like a golden light bulb trophy in honor of my first published book. It will either turn into the coolest thing ever or a mess. We’ll see!

I can’t wait to read Let’s Talk about Love because I enjoy reading emotional contemporaries. I want to read American Panda because I enjoy humor and love the diverse characters and message. I can’t wait for the adventure and action and suspense promised in Blood and Sand.

This is such a nice feature and I enjoyed reading your questions and answers :)
Well, I requested for Let’s Talk About Love and American Panda on Edelweiss but I got rejected for both :P I am new there so Knew that would happen but I so wanted to read them.
But I am lucky in case of Spin the Golden Light Bulb as I got approved on NetGalley for it :P I finished this book on Sunday and seriously, it was amazing. I loved it and the world that Jackie yeager has created.Sim @ Flipping Through the Pages recently posted…eARC Review | The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond | Bizarre but engrossing

One reason why I’m really excited to read “Let’s Talk About Love” is… I’ve read such fantastic reviews about it! I was just reading some reviews on Goodreads the other day, and it seems like the book has really struck a chord with so many people.

Hi, I’m Jana!

I’m a 30-something graphic designer, singer, book lover, avid world traveler, cat whisperer, whale watcher, and art enthusiast. I live in the snowy Rocky Mountains, have an unhealthy obsession with soft blankets, and have been known to toss my book aside in favor of binging shows on Netflix.